Indianapolis continues to be a food hotbed and even if you only get into the capital city a time or two a year there is something for everyone. And lots of new places to try out.

Beholder, the brainchild of Milktooth super chef Jonathan Brooks, is now open and wowing local upscale diners. Brooks has been lauded by Food & Wine magazine, Eater magazine, and mentioned in many other national food publications. Food scene people know Brooks.

His newest venture is something of a gambler’s visit to Indy’s old eastside just beyond the entertainment and restaurant laden Mass Ave. Beholder sit on 10th St., near historic Woodruff Place’s Victorian homes. Brooks is risking name, reputation and a lot of dollars that Beholder can become a destination restaurant that will draw people to the sometimes seamy east side. The immediate neighborhood is changing in the area, and a big thanks goes to Beholder.

Chef Jonathan Brooks

The restaurant has a modern ubran décor and an eclectic menu which can change day to day. Brooks takes his diners on an amazing array of tastes and textures throughout the meal. My dining partner and I enjoyed eggplant tartar, rye pasta with chicken liver pate’, pork tenderloin slices with pickled onion, BBQ octopus and more Since a year or so ago Grape Sense has occasionally delved into food and even Indy-area restaurants.. It was amazing – even some of the things we didn’t think we’d like!

Two glasses of bubbles, two appetizers, one medium plate, two glasses of wine, two entrée, and one dessert came to $185. That’s certainly a high-end price but within the range of dinner for two, with wine, at other top Indy dining spots. Beholder sets a very high bar.

There are lots of other new things to try. The big news of early summers was the arrival of Kimball Musk’s two new Indy dining spots – the more upscale Hedge Row on Mass Ave and Next door at College and 46th. Must is known not just as the brother of Tesla founder Elon Musk but as an entrepreneur and philanthropist.

His business focuses on community, local ingredients, and even bringing affordable foods to food islands like the College Avenue location.

Fried Chicken seems to be new again, often with a hint of spice, Martha Hoover’s food empire just keeps growing. The woman known for the fabulous, and nationally recognized, breakfast at her flagship Café Patachou is all in with her son on fried chicken. Crispy Bird is the small restaurant just off Pennsylvania Ave at 49th.

Another chicken-serving hot spot is The Eagle on Mass Ave. Eagle’s chicken comes out each time tasting like it’s freshly fried and with a hint of spice. Beer is a big deal at the Eagle so the combination draws mature diners and lots of young patrons. It has a youthful vibe that makes it simple fun to enjoy the dish grandma used to do so well.

Earlier this year Grape Sense featured a look at the potential of a labor crisis in Napa/Sonoma during this fall harvest season. The potential has become a reality for many in the nation’s premier wine region.

For the past several years farm labor was paid $15 an hour. Napa has built dormitory type buildings over the recent past for housing as well. This year wages have jumped closer to an average of $18 an hour with some stories that big name wineries are paying more, much more. One unsubstantiated report had a $300-bottle of wine producer paying $45. Top pickers in Sonoma have been commanding up to $30 an hour the past couple of years.

The labor shortage covers a lot of issues. Federal immigration enforcement increased under the Obama administration. Additionally, as the largely Hispanic workforces ages their children are going to college and finding less physically stressful jobs. Sonoma County Winegrowers have more than 5,000 full time workers but hire an additional 2,600 seasonal workers for harvest. So it’s not a small problem.

Harvesting at Indiana’s Hubers a couple of years ago.

There are lots of anecdotes about husband and wife picking up their kids and moving to Napa. But after a few harvests, the married team learns they can work various positions in the thriving hospitality industry for more money and no back-breaking, long days of labor.

When harvest is complete, it will be interesting to see if there is actual fruit that got left on the vine because of worker shortages.

I’ve written several times lately about things going on in Oregon. The Willamette Valley continues to be one of the more interesting regions to follow. The area’s Pinot Noir is now considered world class and is a hot commodity.

Family ownership of Silver Oak Vineyards, known for their outstanding Napa Cab, just recently completed purchase of Dick Erath’s last vineyard near Archery Summit and Domaine Serene – pretty fancy company. Erath, now in his 80s, was one of the valley’s pioneers. He long ago sold his ground-breaking winery to St. Michelle of Washington State.

The new money is being found from great Oregon Pinot Noir. It won’t be surprising to see more Napa names turn up there.

Speaking of Oregon, the vintners continue to kick up production. Sales grew by 12 percent last year from acreage of more than 30,000. In 2016 alone, 23 new wineries opened across the state. Cabernet grapes are the nation’s most expensive but Oregon Pinot grapes from top name vineyards can command more than $5,000 a ton. A ton of grapes will make about 60 cases of wine. There, you now can do some math.

What is it with many state legislatures passing bills best described as a solution looking for a problem?

The Indiana legislature has two such bills under consideration right now. Wine lovers and those who believe in free enterprise need to react now. It’s just not looking for a problem but these two bills will cause substantial harm to several successful Indiana businesses.

So, this requires a short explanation. Senate Bill 358 and House Bill 1496 would essentially require specialty or gourmet food and wine stores to have 51 percent of their annual sales attributed to food. That change in the law would cause several stores to close almost immediately.

Grapevine Cottage of Zionsville, Tasteful Times in Fishers, and Broad Ripple’s Cork & Cracker would face immediate closure or bankruptcy. The Senate reported the bill out of committee with a House committee scheduled to take it up Monday morning.

The chairman of the Public Policy Committee due to hear the bill is Rep. Ben Smaltz (h52@iga.in.gov). Write him immediately to stop this bill that’s bad for small business. It’s also a good idea to write your own local representative. Then, copy your email to Senate President Pro Tem David Long at senator.long@iga.in.govand House Speaker Brian Bosma at h88@iga.in.gov

A brief bit of back ground is essential. The discussion started when state officials learned that Ricker’s gas stations found a legal way around the law to open a small “restaurant” in their stores in order to sell cold beer.

Pause for a second to understand and recall Indiana has some of the most restrictive laws regarding alcohol sales in the nation. Our legislators were upset someone found their way around the law. They were outraged with the State Alcoholic Beverage Commission for issuing the licenses. Interestingly, Gov. Eric Holcomb defended the agency for following the letter of the law.

And now the real crux of the issue for those who don’t keep up on such things – it’s about lobbying and candidate cash. The package liquor lobby and wine/beer distribution lobby own our state legislators. They get their way on every major issue. The lobby restricting alcohol laws has prevented Sunday sales, direct wine shipment, and continue to protect decades old ‘blue laws.”

Any reasonable Hoosier must guess reasonable heads will prevail and legislators will fix this terrible bill before legislating wrath against Rickers.

It’s all so silly but all paid for by those protecting their greed – legislators and the anti-free market distributors and package liquor store owners.

Write your reps today – not tomorrow. If you don’t give a hoot about beer or wine sales that’s fine. Write your representatives to protect these good small businesses.

I always through the GOP stood for the small businessman? Perhaps not when a big business man is filling their pockets.

If you’ve not yet purchased wine online you’re missing out on some of the best deals in the wine world. Online flash sites like Wines Till Sold Out, Last Bottle Wines, Invino, Cinderella Wine, and Underground Cellar offer a unique opportunity for the wine buyer who wants to explore, drink better wine, and maintain a modest budget.

As a wine journalist I probably have more wine in my home than most. A good guess is that more than half of that wine has been purchased online.

Most of these online retailers offer good to great wines at a pretty significant price cut. It’s not unusual to find wines marked down 30 to 70 percent. How do they do it? It’s pretty simple supply and demand. Sometimes wineries just need some cash flow – even the best wineries. So they’ll sell wines to sites like the ones mentioned above at a reduced rate.

In the fall, and particularly close to the holidays, many wineries will start clearing previous vintages and let go of their wines to the discount sellers.

I’ve bought wine online for several years now but have never seen buys like the past two months. I’ve recently purchased $40 Oregon Pinot Noir for $16 a bottle. A few weeks back I snagged some Margaux region $50 Bordeaux for $25. Margaux is one of the premier growing sites for Bordeaux wines.

With most online sites shipping is free with a minimum purchase. If there is a catch, it’s that one. But most of the time the minimums are 3-4 bottles.

Online wine purchases might be the best way to improve the quality of wine you’re enjoying for the best possible price.

You can find all of the sites mentioned above, and others, with a simple Google search. My personal favorites are Last Bottle Wines and WTSO. I have bought wine from all of those listed.

2016 Wine Trip – I’m taking a group to Burgundy, France this summer on my second Grape Sense wine trip – June 11-19. We’ll spend five nights in Beaune, the heart of Burgundy, and three free days in Paris. Want to know more, check it out on my blog or write me at my email below. Registration deadline is end of February. The trip is nearly sold out but 2-4 spots remain.

A New Year’s wine column usually focuses on the best of the previous year or predictions about the coming year. One scribe’s musings have minimal impact but hopefully can be educational. I’ve been there and done that with Grape Sense.

Instead of random ruminations let’s look at some facts. The Gallo company, yes Ernest and Julio’s namesake behemoth, conducts extensive research annually on wine drinkers and their behaviors. It makes for interesting reading.

The big wine news can be summarized as younger people are drinking more and more wine. Dry rose is still going through explosive growth. Wine drinkers are gathering recommendations from a wider number of resources than ever before.

The Gallo report said: “The top 3 factors that encourage wine drinkers to try a new wine include a friend or family recommendation (95%), bartender or sommelier recommendation (86%), and store employee recommendation (82%).”

There are age differences in how a consumer selects wine and perhaps they’re not all that surprising. Our younger friends, or millennials, are four times more likely to buy a wine based solely on the label. Baby Boomers, on the other hand, are looking for information. Boomers want to know where the wine comes from and love shelf talkers – those little notes by each wine describing the wine’s taste.

The average wine drinker sticks to what they know, mostly something I’ve argued against for years. But the average wine buyer sticks to about 3-4 brands they’ve tried and liked. The average price point for those folks is under $10 a bottle.

How do wine buyers see themselves? This was one of the more interesting categories. Those surveyed where given several choices. The top descriptor was Wine Adventurer at 35 percent, wine traditionalist at 20 percent while 25 percent described themselves as a wine novice. In smaller numbers, consumers selected brand loyalist with wine imposter and wine snob coming in at three percent each.

For years wine has become friendlier. If you like it, it’s a good wine. Don’t be intimidated by wine terms or other wine enthusiasts.

So what are winos afraid of, besides an empty bottle? Mispronouncing a wine’s name is the biggest fear at a whopping 42 percent. Another 27 percent feared talking about wine with someone else. Close behind was the fear of a waiter asking the consumer to taste before pouring and being judged by your wine choice.

Grape Sense has been focusing Rose’ for a number of years now. Young people no longer have to be sold. Millennials are almost twice more likely to buy dry pink than boomers. Rose’ tends to be seasonal though it holds up to many winter foods. Rose season starts in April, often when the new French vintage arrives, and peaks in late summer. Rose’ sales drop dramatically before Halloween.

There are more and more options today for convenience. Decent boxed wine is showing up at liquor stores and groceries. Consumers believe that boxed wine is “very convenient” while more than half of all consumers surveyed said they would have no issue drinking boxed wine as their ‘go to” wine source.

So what does all of it mean. It means that we end where we started with consumer trends and desires. Drink what you like and don’t worry about other opinions. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about wine and don’t let the so-called experts or snobs intimidate you.

The final pitch is, as always, try something new. Try a new wine, a new label, or a new country and you might get a reward bigger than expected.

BUELLTON, Ca. – The only wine word more over used than terroir is probably passion. A lot of people talk about it but it’s really special when you see it.

The final day of the 2014 Wine Bloggers Conference featured morning sessions and wrapped up. Some of the nationwide bloggers signed up for afternoon excursions, including one to the stunning Bridlewood Estates Winery.

The passion came from a chef, hog farmer, fisherwoman, and a farming couple. The combination of food and wine is what makes and event like WBC special. And while the bloggers spent a weekend listening to passionate winemakers, it was the first opportunity to combine wine and food and see the passion of artisan craftsmanship in food sourcing.

The interesting thing for the story-telling bloggers is the passion came out of a discussion about social media and food regulations.

“It’s not about the money for any of us,” said Stephanie Mutz of Sea Stephanie Fish. “I’m here to provide a seafood source. I’m for regulations but they come at a cost. All of the regulations cost me a lot. I just want to go fishing.”

Mutz makes a weekly run to Newport Beach to sell her catch. She took the time to explain her relationship with Jeff Olsson, a local caterer and owner of Industrail Eats in Buellton. She uses social media to let people know about her catch.

Francis, Valley Piggery

“I use Twitter and Instagram because there’s not a lot of people out there underwater or on a boat. I don’t do it a lot because I don’t want to be a marketer; I want to be a fisherman.”

The fresh food movement serves Mutz and others well. It’s created a demand somewhat for the unknown. “If Stephanie catches two Bluefin Tuna and that hits social media, I have four people within 10 minutes at the restaurant wanting to order,” Olsson said.

“Then when one of my chefs post something they’ve made from my product I have other chefs say, ‘I want that too,’ “ Olsson said. She provides seafood to several Los Angeles restaurants.

There is also a practical side to using modern technology even if business is good. “It’s hard to imagine running my business without email and social media,” said Jake Francis of Valley Piggery. “I don’t have a retail location. It’s what I call farming the desk and I wish I had more time to do it.”

The panelists showed a strong sense of working together. “We have a great sense of community,” Francis agreed. “We can go out and eat food sourced locally – and we know where it’s come from.”

Bridlewood Winemaker Mark Williams answered questions about his Chardonnay and Syrah served with small bites during the education segment of the winery visit. He gave his take on one of the most recent hot topics, literally – the weather. “The lack of rainfall the last two years is not just an agricultural problem,” he said. “We could see water rationing and other things.”

Williams noted his vineyards are irrigated by a well but he had early bud break this year and verasion is already underway for some grapes like Zinfandel.

The visit was highlighted by the panel a lunch by a small lake, and the aura of the stunning estate.

Like this:

BUELLTON, Ca. – Syrah – the blessed and equally cursed grape of California is getting specialized treatment in Ballard Canyon, Santa Barbara County. Ballard producers used the Wine Bloggers Conference to share their take on the wine and how they’re trying to do something special to elevate Syrah.

I’m live blogging this event! Syrah has been a problematic category for quite a while. The notion of Syah has been hard to define because of bad marketing. The winemakers had more than a bit of fun with the problems of selling Syrah wines. They discussed the terroir of Ballard Canyon and suggested a regional identity requires a quorum – you need a chorus – like the eight winemakers on Saturday’s panel.

To the wines and winemakers:

Mike Larner spoke about terroir and his wine.

Mike Larner of Larner Wines credited the people at the table for getting the group together. “Santa Barbara has an interesting geological history,” Larner said. He talked about the movement of soil through the centuries from San Diego to Santa Barbara. “What is unique we all have some sort of sand on top and beneath it we all have some sort of limestone. In the end the sand on top creates a unique growing environment to stress the vines. That sand renders fruit with intensity and clarity in the wine.”

Kimsey 2012 Syrah – Vineyard manager Ruben Solozano talked about his new Syrah which won’t be released until this fall. The very small production is 95 percent Syrah with a splash of Viognier.The wine was very austere. It certainly was tight from a “very young vineyard.” The flavor had good intensity but clearly needs time in the bottle.

Beckman La Purisima Mountain Syrah 2012 – Steve Beckman talked about making Syrah for 20 years sourcing grapes from the entire region. “We were quickly and easily convinced that Ballard Canyon was uniquely special for Syrah. This is a warm area that acts like a coor region. I think this wine is a good representation of a cool climate/warm climate Syrah wrapped up in one glass. You get good fruit but also the old world elegance with a silkiness mouthfeel.”

This 100 percent Syrah was delightful from one of the region’s best-known producers. It had a wonderful nose of dark fruit and a reasonable peppery finish.

Stolpman Originals 2012 Syrah – Pete Stolpman introduced the Ballard Canyon bottle with “Ballard Canyon molded around the top of the bottle. Stopman said this lighter and fruitier Syrah came from the vineyard’s original vines. It really was a unique Syrah for the brighter and fresher fruit style.

Rusack 2012 Syrah Reserve – Steve Rusack talked about his family small vineyard. “This wine sees more new oak than our other wines. I think it showcases what we can do at Rusack with many different blocks of vineyard, We want to show what we can do with different vintages and this is a good representation of that.

Rusack sets in the center of Ballard Canyon and gets the wine right. I loved the balanced and sily mouth feel of this Syrah about all the others. I thought Beckman would be my favorite wine before we started but the Rusack is in the hunt. Delightful mouthfeel and drinkable wine.Rusack has the only tasting room in the canyon. Some have tasting rooms in other locations.

Harrison Clarke Cuvee Charlotte 2010 Syrah – Hillarie Clarke, owner, talked about the small production winery. “Our wine making is very minimalistic,” she said. “We use very little sulfur, adding it just a couple of weeks before we bottle. I think what makes this wine special is the limestone gives it that minerality.”

The wine had really nice pronounced fruit on the front of the palate but too much acid on the finish.

Larner 2010 Estate Syrah – Mike Larner said “we try to be true to our soil, climate and my father’s devotion to Cornas. What was unique about Larner and I started to see it when we got together with other winemakers is our soil characteristic.”

This wine had a wonderful blance showing the deft hand of a talented winemaker. Big fruit, a nice finish and a delightful food Saarloos of Saarloos and Sons. “Syrah sucks but in the hands of these different artists it becomes something beautiful.”

“You can now visit Burgundy in Santa Rita Hills, Bordeaux in Happy Canyon, and Northern Rhone in Ballard Canyon.”

BUELLTON, Ca. – I may have visited the happiest place on Earth Friday night and no, I didn’t go to Disneyland!

Though a tad corny it probably describes the highlight of my first day at the 2014 Wine Blogger’s Conference. The day was a full one but capped with one of the conference’s signature events – the winery-hosted evening dinner. Organizers put nearly 300 bloggers on about 10 buses and we head out to winery for dinner. We scribes don’t know where we’re going until on the bus.

Our group of about 20 were delighted to visit the far east end of St. Ynez Valley — Happy Canyon. Six small wineries poured for us at the Grassini Winery. The fun thing was these were all tiny – by California standards and even Santa Barbara standards – wineries. These true boutique wineries produce as few as 700 cases of wine up to just a couple thousand.

The east end of the valley gets less of the cool ocean air in the east-west valleys off the Pacific. Therefore, Happy Canyon can grow the Bordeaux varietals that the west end cannot. Conversely, you won’t find any of the area’s signature Pinot Noir either.

And I wouldn’t be doing the canyon justice without mentioning its beauty, hillside vineyards, beautiful evening sun lighting the mountain sides and vineyards, and we were treated to a huge full moon coming up over the mountains as we headed back to Buellton.

All six wineries had a Sauvignon Blanc, a few with a bit of Semilion, and all were good – not outstanding. But the really big hit was the wonderful Bordeaux style blends. Even the Cabernet driven blends were wonderful – softer and rounder fruit with a smooth finish. Most had the reds at a hefty $50-$70 price but that’s not out of line for small hand-crafted production.

The gist of this is you’ll never find the wines if you’re not in the area but when visiting wine regions seek out these kind of producers for something exciting and different.

The conference kicked off with two sessions I enjoyed. Corbett Barr, Fizzle, a bit of a blogging guru who isn’t a wine blogger gave some great advice about driving a blog’s reach to more people regardless of the topic. That’s a separate post.

The second session, and I will definitely be writing about this one, featured four Santa Barbara pioneers who’ve made wine in the region since the 1970s and 1980s. It was one of the day’s big highlights.

BUELLTON, Ca. – You may have never heard of Buellton, California, but odds are you’ve heard of Santa Barbara or perhaps the biggest wine movie ever – Sideways. The movie was about two guys story of friends, search for love, and fascination with Pinot Noir.

Buellton sets about 40 minutes north of Santa Barbara in one of the most underappreciated wine regions of California. I’m here this weekend for the Wine Blogger’s Conference. Nearly 300 wine writers will hear speakers, participate in symposiums and try to absorb massive amounts of the region’s wines.

They pour and pour frequently at these events. No need for a long rundown of the agenda. I’ll be blogging most nights as my chain hotel Wi-Fi permits. This is my first WBC. It has been in Napa, Sonoma, Oregon/Washington, Virginia and more. It just felt like it was time to hear some of these speakers and panels on wine writing and how the very best do it.

My summer of work, wine and personal travel will continue when the conference ends Sunday. I’m going to head up to Paso Robles, about an hour and a half away, and spend a couple nights there and one day exploring Paso’s wine country. I visited in Paso in 2010 and was blown away with the wine quality for price point. I’m also going to scout a bit for a possible future Grape Sense wine tour.

Then Tuesday I’m going to make the long drive up around the bay to Sonoma and Napa. I will be seeing a couple of old friends and do a winery stop two only for my enjoyment! I’ll probably write something about those stops – but this is vacation and fun.

I will be writing, posting to Facebook, and Twitter Friday and Saturday during the conference. Please comment and share!

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My Summer With Lymphoma: Lymphoma, My Stem Cell Transplant

I have failed miserably at keeping ‘the cancer blog’ updated – and that’s a good thing, I suppose. I have now been “clean” since my April autologous stem cell transplant. I had a PET scan in June and a CT scan this week (Sept. 11) and both showed negative results. My oncologist was very pleased […]

It’s been two weeks since my last update, one week-plus since I dropped one of my three antibiotics, and 97 days since my stem cell transplant for Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. So there are a few things to update and a few thoughts to share. Let’s start with the cancer. My team of oncologists at […]